OUR MISSION
I picked up in our leadership retreat, which we held on Friday and Saturday. Don’t blame the other guys for what I'm about to say. It’s just the way I processed the gist of the discussion. The mission of the church is not to get things right. We cannot achieve God’s blessings by getting everything right. Because we are made right by the blood of Christ, we then have the resources we need to further ourselves along the journey toward right thinking and right acting. In other words, we obey God because he has blessed us, instead of trying to do things to win his favor. Once we understand that, we will be able to live more responsibly, to help others cope with their brokenness, and help them see how Jesus can bless their lives as well.
PROUD GRANDFATHER DEPARTMENT
Jamestown, Virginia is the oldest permanent English settlement in what is now known as the United States. A celebration of the 400th anniversary of the settlement’s founding took place this weekend. Our grandson, Hunter, is a member of the West Potomac Colonial Singers. The singers performed at the celebration. Grandy and Grammie couldn’t be there, but we can’t resist saying, “Way to go, Hunter.” If I can’t brag in my own blog, where can I brag?
ASHES TO ASHES
Working at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home has subjected me to a number of experiences that are unique for me, some humorous, some sad, some thought provoking. I want to tell you about a recent thought provoking experience. A co-worker and I were asked to go by a crematory to pick up some ashes – called cremains in the industry. .
Two weeks ago I conducted a memorial service for a family who did not have a minister. This week I picked up his “cremains” which were confined to a box about ten inches long and six inches wide. At the same time we were given the ashes of an infant. They had not been placed in an urn when we arrived. I watched the worker sweep the ashes into two small urns. The total volume probably was a little less than two cups. I carried a person’s remains in one hand. To me it was a profound reminder of the 103rd Psalm when the psalmist writes in verse 14, “for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” I don’t believe God will have any problem resurrecting those ashes. If he can resurrect a body from dirt, ashes shouldn’t be a problem. I began thinking about how much attention we give to maintaining the health of our bodies, pampering our bodies – making sure they don’t get too hot or too cold, and trying to make our bodies look good. In the end they will return to either ashes or dust. It was a sobering reminder of my own mortality.
